By Bob Burbach
Marysville CA – June 18, 2014 — After a three week hiatus, Paul and Kathy Hawes’ Marysville Raceway Park will turn the lights on again for championship point racing competition in four primary classes. The mighty MRP Winged Sprint Cars will headline the sprint car program that will also showcase the MRP Wingless Warriors, The ever popular MRP Super Stocks and MRP Mini Stocks will be offered in the fendered part of the show. It will be “Dad’s Night Out” at the races.
As MRP switches gears into the summer months it’s almost uncanny that each division features remarkably tight point races at the top with many drivers still in the championship hunt.
John Michael Bunch of Paradise still holds the point lead in the MRP Winged Sprint Car class. Oroville’s Heath Hall is in second using an uncanny series of top five finishes to climb the ladder into second. In third is rookie Jeremy Hawes of Marysville. Hawes, too has shown remarkable maturity in his inaugural season and, but for a first lap crash in an early season event, would be even closer to the top.
Woodland’s Peter Paulson is but one marker behind Hawes in fourth and Yuba City’s Kevin Lovell is just a single point behind Paulson. There is a big knot at the top as the aforementioned five drivers start to distance themselves from veterans that include “Iron Man “ Cort Dozier of Marysville, three time champion Billy Wallace of Grass Valley, Sparks Nevada’s Mike Monahan and Marysville’s hard charging Brandon Dozier; all of whom will return on Saturday to take up the chase.
The Contingency Connection sponsored event will offer some $1200 in additional bonuses to the feature event winner.
The Wingless Warriors are still lead by Citrus Heights’ Tim Sherman. But, Marysville’s Josh Vieira has shown that this thing isn’t over by a long shot. Vieira fired the first volley last time out by scoring a runaway feature event victory over a tough field that included Sherman.
2012 titlist Brett Youngman of Grass Valley is but one point ahead of Vieira in second place as they try to chase down Sherman. Last year’s rookie of the year Misty Castleberry and Kyle Standley are fourth and fifth in the standings, respectively.
The real tussle at the top is in the MRP Super Stock division. Only three points separate the top three drivers after Jerry Bartlett charged into victory lane last time out.
Former champions Corey Hall and Phillip Shelby are one-two at the top of the championship standings separated by a single point with the rejuvenated Bartlett just three points out of the lead. All three Yuba City chargers are only five points ahead of Marysville’s Rick Dozier. Dozier is perhaps the biggest surprise of the season thus far as he not only is in the title hunt, but made his first visit to victory lane a few weeks ago.
In the MRP Mini Stock division James Foster of Linda reassumed the top spot in the standings and is ahead of Yuba City’s Jimmy Ford by just two points!
So take your pick. The four featured divisions Saturday have rip-roaring championship point races right at the top. That formula makes for some hammer-down racing action at over 100 mph at MRP!
The grandstands open at 5PM. Hot Laps are at 5:30 with qualifying scheduled for 6:00. Racing begins after qualifying.